#351 - protect your picnic

 

19.xii.20

351

protect your picnic

a little occasional

for Kerri and Kate

 

from possums, ants

creatures by manger

all opinion now

 

from day’s grey paint

but in these pages somewhere sun

(which we are to each other)

 

protect from itch

then permanence of rain

 

from brown snakes, slugs and leeches

from possum, micro-, vampire-, fruit-

let’s not forget the funnel webbing

 

from the overhead creek in the dream

from all such flimsy distances

come seas over in the after ice

 

from drip

and from the grass rise

from  ache and much misgiving

 

who quibbles with the crumbs?

 

mask up

courage, mes amis!

 

we must protect the picnic from time

and take a picture of it

 

brolly up and parry, fend

 

a picnic needs protecting

for instance, from the bottom line

 

bears a bout

essential to tickle

be prepared to defend

rude in the under there

round mulberry of season gone

 

come all ye bears

and protect us from Christmas

years to come

and from all dogma muzak

 

put aside all trepidation

nothing to fear but the picnic itself

 

who drives the storm?

forfend with vim

 

there is a wash away

and bliss with

shine

like fun                       

 

take static for a sign

centripetal – a tizz!

 

know this too will pass

 

beware Ross River mozzie

 

careful you don’t grow in

become a picnic fixture

 

defend us from the damned cicadas

lord, that we might hear

 

time passes like a sleep to go

(faux notion now)

defend us from the picnique fixée

 

there is wash away

and last year there was fire

now plague

don’t mention locusts

 

be picnic minded in our midst

 

bird might shit upon

no telling

 

protect yourself

from breezes and branches

great widow making falls

by gust

in Kansas call it twister

 

protect your neck from the picnic sun

 

set in

far gone to the vittles

we’re under the overtin

 

and can we COVID safely

or ventilator come?

 

hope signs the warrant over

and we undergo

let’s wink

not every insect’s named yet

crawl up along

 

but catch the arrow falling

protect us from the sky

and dribbles down the chin

the crumb for bearded Ron

whose picnic is a lark

 

the blanket would be rather damp

were we to spread it now

 

but gods are very far

won’t care

 

so your good health

let’s drink

 

protect the picnic spark!